Sudanese civil war (2023–present)

A war is happening in Sudan.

Two groups of soldiers are fighting. They both want to lead the land. This fight started in April 2023.

The fighting makes life very hard. Many people must leave their homes. They move to new places to stay safe.

Many people do not have enough food. It is hard to find water or medicine. Many children are also hungry.

Some people try to help. They want the fighting to stop. They want the people to be safe.

It is a very sad time for Sudan. We hope for peace soon.

A war is happening in Sudan.

This fight began in April 2023. It is a war between two military groups. The first group is the Sudanese Armed Forces. They are led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The second group is the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. They are led by General Hemedti. These two groups fought for power after a coup in 2021.

The fighting has caused great harm. Many people had to leave their homes. About 12 million people have moved to find safety.

Some people fled to other countries as refugees. Many people in Sudan also face famine. This means they do not have enough food to eat. Millions of people do not have enough food. Four million children are very hungry.

There is also a lack of water and medicine. Many hospitals have had to close. In the city of El Fasher, much fighting took place. The RSF took control of the city in late 2025. This area was a last stronghold for the SAF. Many people have died from the violence and sickness.

A civil war is happening in Sudan right now.

This conflict is a fight for power between two military groups. One group is the Sudanese Armed Forces, also called the SAF. They are the official government military led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The other group is the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. This group is a paramilitary force led by General Hemedti. The fighting started on 15 April 2023. It began after a power struggle following a military coup in 2021.

The war works like a struggle for control over the whole country. It started with RSF attacks on government sites in the capital city, Khartoum. The two sides fought for different parts of the land. The SAF moved its government to a city called Port Sudan. The RSF grew very strong by using gold exports to fund their work. They also used many armed pickup trucks to move through streets. Different rebel groups joined the fight on different sides. For example, the SPLM–North attacked the SAF in the south.

Sudan has a long history of military rule and fighting. The country gained its independence in 1956. Since then, it has seen 20 different coup attempts. There were two major civil wars between 1955 and 2005. These wars caused many people to die and led to South Sudan becoming independent in 2011. In the western region of Darfur, there was also a very hard conflict in 2003. During that time, the leader Omar al-Bashir used groups called the Janjaweed. These groups later became the RSF that we see today.

Numbers from this war show how much people are suffering. About 12 million people have been forced to leave their homes. This includes 9 million people inside Sudan and 3.5 million refugees in other lands. In Khartoum State, 61,000 people have died. Many of these deaths came from violence, but others came from hunger and sickness. Famine is a huge problem for 25 million people. There are 4 million children who are very hungry. In the city of El Fasher, some estimates say 150,000 people died in a massacre.

This war is linked to many things happening around the world. Many countries, like the U.S. and the UK, have put sanctions on the leaders. Sanctions are rules that stop certain people or companies from doing business. People are also calling for more food and medicine to reach those in need. The fighting in Sudan is a major part of a global humanitarian crisis. It shows how hard it is to keep peace when military groups fight for control. Experts say this area is a center of human suffering today.

The Sudanese civil war is an ongoing armed conflict that began in April 2023.

It is a struggle for political power between two major military factions. The first is the Sudanese Armed Forces, known as the SAF. The SAF is the internationally recognized government military led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. It includes the Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Republican Guard.

The second faction is the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. This is a paramilitary force led by General Hemedti. The war is part of a long history of instability in Sudan. Since the country gained independence in 1956, it has faced 20 coup attempts. A coup is when the military takes control of the government by force.

The conflict began on 15 April 2023 due to a power struggle. This struggle followed a military coup that occurred in October 2021. The main tension involved how the RSF would integrate into the regular Sudanese Army. Fighting started with RSF attacks on government sites in the capital, Khartoum. This initial fighting is often called the Battle of Khartoum. As the war spread, the capital region was divided between the two sides. General al-Burhan eventually moved his government to the city of Port Sudan.

The fighting has also been very intense in the western Darfur region.

Various rebel groups have joined the war on different sides. The SPLM–North, a group from the southern regions, attacked the SAF. The Tamazuj movement chose to join the RSF. Meanwhile, the SAF received support from factions of the Sudan Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement. These groups have complex histories and often split into different factions. By late 2023, the RSF controlled most of Darfur. They also advanced into Kordofan and the Gezira region. However, the SAF regained momentum during 2024. The SAF made gains in Omdurman and retook much of Khartoum by March 2025.

In October 2025, the city of El Fasher fell to the RSF.

The RSF has roots in a group called the Janjaweed. These were Arab militias used by former leader Omar al-Bashir. In 2013, al-Bashir reorganized the Janjaweed into the official RSF. This allowed the group to grow into a massive force with thousands of armed pickup trucks. The RSF also built relationships with the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company.

To fund their operations, the RSF relies heavily on gold exports to the United Arab Emirates. This wealth helped them become a major political player in Sudan. The group has faced accusations of ethnic cleansing against the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa peoples.

The human cost of this war is immense and continues to grow. About 12 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes. This includes 9 million people moving within Sudan and 3.5 million fleeing as refugees.

In Khartoum State alone, 61,000 people have died. Of those, 26,000 deaths were a direct result of the physical violence. In El Fasher, some estimates suggest up to 150,000 people died in a massacre. This is considered one of the largest massacres of the 21st century. The war has created a massive humanitarian crisis for the entire population.

Food and health are in critical condition across the country. There is widespread famine affecting 25 million people. Among them, 4 million children are acutely malnourished. Specifically, 770,000 children were confirmed to be at imminent risk of death from famine.

There are extreme shortages of clean water and medicine. Many hospitals have closed, and disease outbreaks are common. Half of the Sudanese population now needs urgent assistance to survive. The destruction of schools and infrastructure has also left the country in a state of near-collapse.

International leaders have responded to the crisis in several ways. The United States, United Kingdom, European Union, and Canada imposed sanctions. Sanctions are economic penalties used to punish those who violate human rights. These were aimed at individuals and companies linked to the SAF and RSF. There have also been calls to stop international arms supplies to the RSF. Some reports suggest the United Arab Emirates has violated sanctions by shipping weapons. The conflict remains a major focus for global humanitarian organizations. Experts describe the situation in Darfur as a central point of human suffering in the world.